Anne had this wonderful cake for me made at Rick’s Bakery in Fayetteville. It was incredible! These pictures don’t do it an ounce of justice, the details (like the dirty and cracked fingernails, or the veins in the eyeball) were intricate and super-realistic. Most importantly, it tasted fantastic. Despite all the detail and intricate construction, it was all delicious frosting, and not a bit of hard, nasty fondant.

Even the eyeball (made from a marshmallow?) was delicious.

If you ever happen to be anywhere near Northwest Arkansas, make sure you check out Rick’s Bakery— who also make the best donuts, pastries, and muffins that I’ve ever had. If you’ve ever lived in Fayetteville, you know what I’m talkin’ about.

Anne got me these fantastic Sabatier Thiers-Issard carbon steel knives! The models she got me are from Pre-World War 2 forgings of the steel (they’ve been reground and sharpened). They sliced through chicken like it was jello and feel perfect in the hand. Those unfamiliar with Sabatier can get some info here.

Anne got me these great coins from a local coinsmith! The Shire Post has all sorts of coins, thoroughly researched, from many different Fantasy novels or from historical events. Tom does an amazing, detailed job with all his coins and buttons, but these are particularly fantastic. Strongly recommend these as a gift for your favorite fantasy geek.

GM10, Silver Pfenig (penny or half-stag) of Eddard Stark, Warden

This silver piece hearkens back to an early style of coinmaking… when silver was struck thin and 1/20 troy ounce was known as a “pennyweight”. Many coins of the time were made heavier by mixing base metals into the silver, but this one is done in pure .999 refined silver and because of its purity is regarded as equivalent to the slightly heavier “Stag”. The last ruler of the independant North Kingdom was Torrhen Stark, whose castle at Winterfell features heavily in the first of author George R.R. Martin’s novels. Eddard (or Ned) Stark is Torrhen’s descendant and Warden of the North. This piece weighs about 1.6 grams of .999 fine silver, and is about 21mm in diameter. The dies have been done in a primitivistic style and “fabric” reminiscent of the medieval silver pfenig coinage of Northern Germany in the 13th century CE. “Fabric” refers to the heft and feel of a coin… since the coins of this time tended to be quite a bit thinner than the coins we are familiar with today. (note that “pfenig” is the Germanic spelling of “penny” and that originally the penny or pfenig was a silver coin. Monetary debasement in later times reduced the value of this classic denomination to the small copper piece we are familiar with today)… Ned would have been playing a dangerous game politically by reverting to a higher purity standard than was current at the time the coin was issued. It is undated (like most ancient coins) but is thought to have been struck at the castle armory of Winterfell towards the end of Eddard’s tenure. When Eddard (spoiler alert) was betrayed and beheaded, the new owners of Winterfell not only hunted down his entire family but also demanded that all Ned’s coinage be turned in to be remelted, so only a few examples have survived the great remelting to grace the collections of today. Most examples show distinct signs of circulation and often display the “rainbow toning” avidly sought by coin collectors. No two are quite the same as they were struck on hand-clipped blanks. Taken from: The Shire Post Store

GM09, Iron coin of the Faceless Man

This iron coin is of a size and weight similar to the star, but the similarity stops there. This coin features importantly in author George R.R. Martin’s novels where it turns out to have extraordinary significance. This piece weighs about 6 grams of .9998 pure iron, and is about 26mm in diameter. The obverse features the shadowy form of the Faceless Man… representing a guild of assassins who will take on any job, for the right price. The reverse features the cryptic inscription VALAR DOHAERIS, VALAR MORGULIS… along with an encipherment of that message in the entwined capital letters VDVM. It is undated (like most ancient coins) but is thought to have been struck in Valyria sometime in the third century after Aegon. Taken from The Shire Post Store